


Nothing Left to Lose

by madeleone



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Community: grangersnape100, Drabble Series, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-13
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-20 16:06:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4793801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madeleone/pseuds/madeleone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I've been going through my fic list and realized I had several drabble series I hadn't yet posted here.</p><p>This was written for the weekly challenge at LJ's Grangersnape100. The Challenge was Freedom.</p><p>Severus finds Hermione drowning her sorrows and discovers a need to know why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing Left to Lose

**Author's Note:**

> As soon as I heard freedom as the challenge, a snippet of a certain song started running through my mind. This is the result. As always I don't own HP, no money made here, and this work is unbeta'd--all mistakes are my own. :)

~*~

Hermione slammed back another shot of Odgen's, her third in less than an hour. She slumped, staring blindly across the room, lost in thought. 

Severus had watched her since she'd arrived. Unnoticed by her, he was hidden deep in the shadows at the farthest end of the bar. 

What could have brought the female third of the Golden Trio so low that she felt compelled to drown her sorrows in a dive like this, he wondered. Against his better judgment he decided to find out. Ordering himself another drink and one for her as well, he crossed to her table.

~

“Fancy meeting you here,” he said. Not waiting for an invitation, he slid into the seat across from her, setting her drink down before her. 

“Sssseverusss,” she slurred in greeting. She glanced at her wristwatch and slid the shot glass back a bit. “Thanksss, but it's not time yet,” she explained. “M'... pacing myself. 'S gonna be a long night.”

“Is that so? What is it, exactly, that we are commiserating? Or is it celebrating?”

She thought about it seriously for a moment then leaned towards him with a conspiratorial smirk on her face and said, “Both.” 

~

“Really? Do tell,” he replied. 

“First off, we're celebrating the fact that I gave my lying, cheating, no-good arse of a boyfriend the boot today. Au revoir. Sayonara. Arrivederci. Hasta la vista, baby!”

Severus' brows rose, a glint of interest in his eye. “That is cause for celebration, isn't it?” He placed her shot glass in her hand. “Drink up.”

Hermione squinted at the clock above the bar, completely forgetting she had a watch. “Can't, yet. 'Member, I'm pacing myself, else I'll end up splinching. I can't call Harry to come take me home, he's out of town.”

~

“No need to worry, I promise you'll get home safely,” he assured her smoothly. He smiled inwardly, leave it to Granger. She even has plan in place for tying one on. She was kind of a cute drunk, though.

“Well, hell then—let's drink!” she cried, downing the whisky and waving at the bartender for another round.

“So, what's the other thing—the one we're commiserating?” Severus asked as he took a sip of his  
stout. 

“Oh, that,” she responded, deflating right before his eyes, suddenly looking lost.

The change in her demeanor made him sorry he'd asked.

~

“Apparently I find myself currently unemployed. Thanks to a teeny-tiny...” Hermione held her finger and thumb in front of his face, showing him just how teeny-tiny... “disagreement with my idiot of a boss. More than a little one, I guess. I may have told him to his face he was a fucking moron who wouldn't recognize an original idea if it came up and bit him on his rather considerable arse.”

“Ouch. He fired you?”

“Hell, no. I quit!” 

She swallowed hard, looking a little queasy. “Oh, gods, what have I done? I don't have a job.”

~

“Or a boyfriend,” he pointed out.

“I'm not too worried about that. If I'm lucky, I might know where I can find a new one. I need a job, though. I have responsibilities—bills to pay—shoes to buy.” She held up her foot, showing off a rather nice looking open toed pump. She sighed. “I really do like nice shoes.”

“Hmmmm... yes. Very nice,” he replied. A vision of Hermione wearing nothing but those shoes flashed through his mind. 

He caught the tip of his finger under her chin and tilted her attention from her shoes to him. 

~ 

“You worked at the Ministry, yes?” 

Hermione nodded. 

“You've no worries. I can think of four employers off the top of my head who'd be delighted to hire you.”

“Honestly?”

“Yes.” Their next round was delivered. “A toast then: to freedom from ex-boyfriends and idiot bosses.”

Hermione clinked her glass to his. “To quote the inimimble...intibitable...oh hell, the late, great, Janis Joplin: 'Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.' I've nothing left to lose, Severus, and everything to gain. So here's to lots of pretty shoes.”

“Hmmm—pretty shoes, indeed. I'll drink to that.”

Fin


End file.
